Folding-machine.



No. 721,599. PAIENIBD 111113.24, 1999.

I A. J. MASIIREY.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOIITION FILED 11011.21, 1992. v

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PATENTED PEB. 24, 1903;

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UNITED v STATES PATENT OEEICE. 'l

ARTHUR JAMES MASKREY, OF MARTINS FERRY, OHIO.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,589, dated February24, 1903.

l Application iiled November 21, 1902. Serial No. 132,246. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t mag/concern:

Beit known that I, ARTHUR J AMES MASK- REY, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain,

vand a resident of Martins Ferry, county of Belmont, and State of Ohio,have invented vice for performing mechanically a characterV of workwhichhas heretofore been with but few exceptions performed by muscular force.

A further object of my invention is to provide a machine which will foldor double sheets or packs of metal squarely-that is,

which will not permit the ends of the sheetsy or packs to Whip aroundand become uneven in the pack-and Which,furthermore,will fold the sheetsor packs so as to leave them at and perfectthat is, without warp. A

With these and other objects in View my invention iinally consists inthe particular construction, arrangement, and combination of parts,which will hereinafter be fully described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica-tion, in whichfFigure 1 is an end elevation of my invention, showing the creasing-barlowered across the table and also indicating in dotted lines the normalposition of said creasing-bar. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 22, Fig. 1, showing the table open in side elevation and illustrating indotted lines the position of said table when closed; and Fig. 3 is a topplan view of my invention, showing the table open and the creasing-barlowered across said table.

Referring to the drawings, in which like reference-numerals designatelike parts throughout'the several views, 1 indicates a bed-plate, onwhich are mounted support-s 2. Journaled in the upper ends 3 of saidsupports 2 are the opposite ends of a shaft or pintle 4. Loosely of isan arm 8, and on the under side of the leaf 5a is a similar arm 8a. Tothe end of the arm 8 are pivoted the upper ends of togglearms 9, and tothe end of the arm 8;L are pivoted the ends of toggle-arms 9a. The lowerends of each of said toggle-arms are pivoted to the head 10 of thepiston-rod 11 of asteamycylinder 12, which is also mounted on the bed-lplate 1. The surface of the table when open, as illustrated in Fig. 2,is preferably flush with the floor 13 of the mill, and encircling theopening in the floor 13, in which the ta` ble is supported, ispreferably provided a substantially rectangular border-plate 14. Up`

right guides 15 are mounted on the plate 14 at the rear side of thetable, against which i7 5 the sheets or packs are squared up when placedon said table preparatory to folding.

Pivoted in lugs 16, provided on the upper face of the journal 3 at therear side of the table and directly in the center thereof, is aAcreasing-bar 17, With a beveled edge 18 for lowering across the centerof the sheet or pack resting upon the table at right angles to thelength thereof to hold said sheet or pack firmly in position. while theleaves 5 and 5a thereof are being raised, thus providingmeans whereby acrease for folding is formed in said sheet or pack at direct rightangles to the length thereof and in its center.' Said creasing-bar isprovided with a vertical point 19 for engaging a recess 20, provided inthe upper face of the journal 3 at the front side of the table, meansbeing thus provided Whereby lateral movement is prevented Vin saidcreasing-bar. Asa means for operating said creasingbar 17 I provide asmall vertical steam-cylinder 21, to the head 22 of the piston-rod 23 ofwhich I pivot the lower end of a toggle 24. The upper end of said toggle24 is pivoted to the rear end of said creasing-bar at 25.

26 indicates a guide -on the support 2, on which the yoke or saddle 27of the head 22 slides.

IOO

The creasing-bar 17 normally stands in the position indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 1. The toggles 9 are each provided with an outward bend 28at theirl lower ends, so as to straddle the lower ends of the toggles 9awhen the'y table lies open, as illustrated in Fig. 2.`l

The arm 8 on the under side of the leaf 5L is preferably made relativelyshorter in length than the arm 8, so that the arc described by said armin traveling to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2-thatis, when closing the table-will be somewhat shorter than that of theopposite arm 8, thus mak ing the table stand when closed at an angle tothe vertical. The object of this construction or arrangement is to causethe folded sheet or pack to follow the leaf 5 when the table isreopened, falling on that leaf of the table, which leaf is preferably onthe side next the feed-rolls. However, as is obvious, the parts may beso constructed as to cause the table to stand in a vertical positionwhen closed, from whence the sheets may fall to either side.

At the front side of the ltable an inclined guide 29 may be placed onthe floor, which guide will lead up to the level of the hinge. Thesheets or packs may then be shoved up on the table without hindrancefrom the said hinge.

The operation of my invention is substantially as follows: The sheet orpack of metal to be folded is placed on the table and is squared upagainst the upright guides l5 at the rear side of said table and iscentrally divided thereon-that is, an equal portion of the sheet or packis placed over each leaf of the table. The steam is then thrown into thecylinder 2l, forcing the piston-rod 23 upward and through theintermediate toggle 24, lowering the creasing-bar 25 across the centerof the sheet or pack. The steam is then thrown into the cylinder l2,forcing the piston-rod 11 upward and through the intermediate toggles 9and 9, forcing the leaves 5 and 5 of the table upward, carrying the endsof the sheets or packs and folding said sheets or packs over thecreasing-bar 17. However, directly before the closing of the sheet orpack against the sides of the creasing-bar the steam is released fromthe cylinder 2l, and the said creasing-bar is thereby whipped back toits normal vertical position, thus permitting the ends of said sheet orpack t'o be folded closely together by the leaves of the table. When thesteam is released from the cylinder 12, the leaves of the table assumetheir normal horizontal positions and in so returning, because of theinclined position of the table when closed, the folded pack will followthe leaf 5 thereof.

I have described my invention in what I consider to be its simplestform; but it is apparent that many mere mechanical changes may be madein the construction without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a folding-machine, a steam-cylinder, a folding table over saidcylinder, the leaves of said table pivoted toa common shaft, andtoggle-arms connecting each of the leaves of said table with thepiston-rod of said cylinder, whereby when said piston-rod is forcedupward the leaves of said table close or fold together, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a machine for doubling metal plates or packs, a table composed oftwo hingedsections, means for folding said sections together at a slightangle from the vertical, guides at the rear side of said table, acreasing-bar for holding a plate or pack on said table until the samehas been creased along its center, and means for operating saidcreasing-bar, substan tially as described.

suitable supports located beneath the floorline, a shaft mounted at itsends in said supports, a table composed of two leaves hinged upon saidshaft, the surface of said table flushing with t-he floor, an arm on theunder side of each leaf of the table, toggles attached at one end toeach of said arms, a steam-cylinder, all of said teggles having theirlower ends attached tothe piston-rod of said steamcylinder, whereby theleaves of said table are forced together, and means for holding sheetsof metal in place on said table, substantially as described.

4. In a machine for doubling metal plates or packs, a table composed oftwo hinged sections,means for folding said sections together, guides atthe rear side of said table, a creasin g-bar pivoted at the rear side ofsaid table for holding the center of the sheet or pack while thesections of the table are being folded together, and means for operatingsaid creasing-bar, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for folding metal plates, suitable supports locatedbeneath the floorline; a shaft mounted at its ends in said supports; atable, composed of two leaves, hinged at its center upon said shaft; anarm on the under side of each leaf of the table, toggles attached at oneend to each of said arms, a steam-cylinder, all of said toggles attachedat their lower ends to the piston-rod of said steam-cylinder, saidsteam-cylinder and toggles forming means whereby the leaves of saidtable are folded together, and means for holding sheets or packs ofmetal across their centers on said table, substantially as described.

6'. In a folding-machine, the combination with a steam-cylinder and itspiston-rod, of a folding table having the two leaves thereof hingedtogether at a central point, arms on the undersides of saidleaves,togglearms connecting the said arms with said piston-rod, guidesIOO IIO

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at the rear side of said table, a creasing-bar mounted at the rear sideof said table, means for lowering said creasing-bar across the table,substantially as described.

7. In a folding-machine, supports, a shaftV ter line thereof and forraising it therefrom substantially as described. Y

8. In a machine for folding metal plates, suitable supports, a shaftmounted in said supports, a table composed of two sections, the sectionsof said table hinged on said shaft, an arm on the under side of eachsection, toggles attached at their up per ends to said arms, guides atthe rear side of .said table, a normally upright creasing-bar pivoted atthe rear side of said table over said shaft, means for lowering saidcreasing-bar across the center of said table and for returning the sameto its normal position, and a steam-cylinder, located beneath saidtable, to the piston-rod of which is attached the lower ends of saidtoggles, for closing or folding together and reopening the sections ofsaid table, substantially as described.

9. In a machine for folding metal plates or packs,a table composed oftwo sections hinged together at a central point, an'arm on the underside of each section, the arm on one section being longer than that onthe other section, a steam-cylinder, toggle-arms connecting thepiston-rod of said cylinder Witheach of the arms on the table-sections,a creasingbar pivoted at the rear side of said table and 'normallystanding in a vertical position, a-

toggle attached to the rear end of said creasing-bar at a point behindits pivot, a steamcylinder beneath its rear end, the lower end of saidtoggle-arm attached to the piston-rod ofthe last-mentioned cylinder, andguides at the rear of saidtable, substantially as described, and for thepurposes set forth.

10. In a machine of the character described,

the combination with a hinged table, of a 5o creasing-bar pivoted at theside of said table, a toggle pivoted to t-he rear end of saidcreasing-bar, a steam-cylinder below said creasingr-bar, the lower endof said toggle attached to the piston-rod of said cylinder,saidc'ylinder and toggle-forming means whereby said creasing-bar isoperated to fall across said table along the center line of the hinge,andl for returning the same to its normal position, substantially asdescribed.

Signed by me at Martins Ferry, Ohio, this 20th day of November, 1902.

ARTHUR JAMES MASKREY. Witnesses:

H. E. DUNLAP, MINNIE MASKREY.

